Polymer recently launched Country Garden Australia’s first masterplanned community in Australia. Located in Melbourne’s booming western region, Windermere is a 363-hectare site that will feature approximately 4,700 homes of varied housing types to be progressively delivered over an 8-10-year timeframe.

Along with launching the project, Polymer has been engaged to develop and implement the communications strategy for Windermere. This has included hosting a media tour to site, running a construction commencement ceremony in October, producing weekly eDMs, establishing and developing a strong social media presence and securing media coverage for the upcoming village hub. Polymer also facilitated the collateral and communications strategy for Windermere’s ‘Family Fun Day’, which was a great success.

Windermere promises to be an inclusive, family-oriented community, with a future choice of three government schools and one private school within the estate, 50 hectares of green space, a retail hub and a variety of sports facilities. Polymer is proud to be working with masterplanned projects that keep community at the centre of their focus, and Windermere is a prime example of this industry-wide shift in urban design.

Happy 1st Birthday to Polymer Studios! What started as a solo leap of (measured) faith, has rapidly evolved into a team of eight highly motivated doers, innovative thinkers and industry shapers. Our successful year has been topped off by the opening of the Polymer Studios office in Melbourne.

Our dynamic team of media and corporate communications specialists has flourished in Polymer’s fast-paced environment, and we are excited to be co-sharing our Melbourne office with NH Architecture in Flinders Lane. With 2019 right around the corner, we are looking forward to a new year of challenges and accomplishments with our current and future clients, consultants and suppliers. Our partnerships have seen us grow from strength to strength in developing sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with industry affiliates and community groups alike, and the year to come is looking brighter than ever.

Polymer recently assisted leading Australian developer TOGA launch their new Penrith project, Penway Place. Located on the corner of Union Place and Mulgoa Road, Penway Place will consist of four buildings, providing a new urban residential and mixed-use precinct that acts as a marker for the western gateway of the Penrith CBD.

Market-leading built environment specialists SJB Architects, and their design partner Studio Prineas won the design competition for Penway Place, and Polymer was engaged to develop the communications strategy for its launch in April, which included traditional media relations, a first home buyers guide and resident case studies. The first release of 81 apartments will feature a mix of one, two and three-bedroom configurations, with a number enjoying views to the Nepean River and neighbouring Blue Mountains.

TOGA is known for award-winning projects such as the Jones Bay Wharf rejuvenation and Bondi Boheme, and the company is expecting Penway Place to play a similarly transformational role in the future of Penrith. With plans to include a vibrant public plaza and retail precinct, Penway Place is set to provide a lively space for the local community, visitors and residents alike to enjoy.

Polymer’s Head of Strategy Andrew Coward attended the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2018 Asia Pacific Summit, where nearly 1000 built environment industry experts convened in vibrant Hong Kong. After co-leading the 2017 ULI Australia Young Leaders study tour to Singapore, Andrew was invited to contribute to the planning of the 2018 Hong Kong study tour for the Australian branch of the ULI.

The annual summit brings together city shapers, leaders, designers and developers from across the Asia Pacific to share ideas, discuss contemporary challenges and collaborate with like-minded industry affiliates. This year saw an inspiring array of speakers, forums, workshops and networking events take place over the five days. Polymer is looking forward to attending the 2019 summit in Shanghai.

Polymer’s Head of Strategy Andrew Coward was invited to judge at the NSW Department of Education’s inaugural Game Changer Challenge. The Challenge saw over 100 primary and secondary schools from around NSW convene at the Department’s brand-new headquarters in Parramatta to present their idea for the school of the future.

Australia’s unprecedented population growth means that as cities densify, new vertical, tech-enabled schools will be the way of the future. Indeed, Parramatta’s own Arthur Phillip High School will be one of the first high-density schools in Australia. The new school is currently under construction and is due for completion in late 2019.

Along with Adobe, TrickyJigsaw and the Department of Education, Andrew judged eight ideas from the secondary school teams. It was an inspiring day and there were some fantastic presentations and innovative ideas presented to the judging panel. The lucky winner was the team from Carenne School, Bathurst.

Polymer was thrilled to assist leading sustainability consultant Morphosis and global professional body RICS launch their ground-breaking research report into the sustainable digitalisation of real estate earlier this month.

‘Crossing the Threshold’ investigates the magnitude of the culminative mega-trends that are set to shape the future of our cities and real estate, including artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality and autonomous vehicles, blockchain, the internet of things and robotics.

A culmination of two years of research, ‘Crossing the Threshold’ offers guidelines pertaining to the responsible, ethical and sustainable integration of technology as it increasingly shapes every aspect of our lives. The report outlines the numerous benefits of digitalisation, while offering sustainable and ethical approaches to potential risks such as job automation, cyber security and electronic waste.

The industry-wide effects of technological innovation and ‘smart city’ integration was demonstrated by the representatives for the City of Sydney, The Ethics Centre and Laing O’Rourke attending the breakfast, along with major property developers and owners, key industry stakeholders and built environment leaders.

A lucky handful of Polymer team members attended Urbanity 2018, Australia’s leading conference for the property and urban development industry. Held by our friends at The Urban Developer, an inspirational line-up of speakers, workshops, expert panels and site tours filled the three-day event, covering the latest ideas in urban design, smart cities and Urbanity’s theme for 2018: Urban Legacy.

Stand-out talks included keynote speaker and Singapore-based American academic, Parag Khanna, who delivered one of the most-watched TEDx talks on cities and urban development. Parag spoke about high density urban clusters and the power that infrastructure lines hold over human behaviour and social organisation. Exploring connectivity as an ‘emerging megatrend’, Parag discussed the future of AI-integrated smart cities, with streamlined supply chains, considered urban clusters and optimised social spaces.

Ex-journalist and foreign correspondent Michael Ware was stationed in war-torn Middle East for 10 years, witnessing first-hand the destruction of historical monuments and town centres through systematic attacks and targeted explosions. Michael’s understanding of urban legacy has been shaped by this experience, and he raised important questions on the ways in which cities can regroup and redevelop – both culturally and structurally – when faced with such violent, widespread loss.

Polymer launched award-winning developer Cbus Property’s major mixed-use residential development, located in prime position north-west of the Sydney CBD and the iconic harbour. The Langston will supply the Epping community with one, two and three-bedroom apartments, along with a range of premium penthouse residences when the project reaches completion in 2021.

Along with facilitating The Langston’s VIP launch night and media tours to site, Polymer has worked to identify and implement community engagement initiatives in Epping, hold business information sessions and develop a strong social media presence for The Langston project. Cbus Property is delivering significant public domain upgrades and much-needed public infrastructure to the rapidly growing north-western Sydney suburb. In addition to the 463 premium residential apartments on offer, The Langston will feature a retail precinct comprising 1,681sqm of retail and 1,921sqm of communal open space, all located just 100m from Epping Train Station.

Polymer’s sister company Reactivate, and their client Cbus Property, will be celebrating the Epping community that is home to their major residential mixed-use development, The Langston. Over three days from Friday 30 November to Sunday 2 December, ‘The Langston Weekender’ will be jam-packed with live music, community market stalls, art performances, workshops and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Polymer has facilitated the communications for The Langston Weekender festival, which will feature a host of major food vendors including Knafeh, Koi Dessert Bar, Brickfields Bakery, Pepe Saya, Sparky’s Jerk BBQ and Tsuru. Complementing all those sweet and salty treats will be award winning brews from local suppliers Grasshopper Bar, Wayward Brewing Co. and The Welder’s Dog.

The Langston will be delivering significant public domain upgrades and much-needed public infrastructure to the rapidly growing north-western Sydney suburb. In addition to the 463 premium residential apartments on offer, The Langston will feature a retail precinct comprising 1,681sqm of retail and 1,921sqm of communal open space, all located just 100m from Epping Train Station.

Polymer has assisted the innovative minds at Texo with the development and implementation of a communications strategy for Naxan, an engineered wood alternative. Manufactured from three core natural materials – rice husk (60%), mineral oil (18%) and rock salt (22%), Naxan is set to revolutionisethe Australian architectural, commercial property and home building industries.

The sustainable product looks, handles and feels like wood, but is free from the environmental implications of traditional commercial timber-growing and logging.